Comments on: Review: Vincent Musaalo, Through Some Miracle Not Yet Clear to Me

By: Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:55:30 +0000

Re: Idi Amin
In 2006, I came across the following fascinating bit in a blog (trustmakers.com) written by Rob Lambert. (The very idea that Amin managed to work out asylum after his “administration” of Uganda….)

Date : Oct 05, 2006

Several years ago, Kelli and I were relaxing in a beautiful lounge at one of our favorite hotels. The manager had just given her a beautiful yellow rose, and she took a huge whiff of the beautiful little thing. In mid-whiff, in walked a huge black man. (He was so big he made me look small, so I naturally liked him a lot.) He was dressed in a black suit with two body guards. He noticed Kelli enjoying the rose like it was the only one she had ever smelled.

He sat down about 10 feet away, and in a huge voice with an English accent, he asked Kelli if he might partake of her rose and have a word with her. She said “sure,” and sat down with him. He took a giant whiff of the rose, and the conversation began.

Two hours later they were still head to head solving the world’s problems. It was finally time for him to be making his way out of this magic place, and the conversation came to an end.

After he left, Kelli sat down with me, and said that she had just spent time with one of the most cultured and wonderful men she had ever met. They talked about things like they were long lost friends and came close to determining the meaning of life. She had not asked him his name, as is the tradition in this lounge.

My comment to her was, “Honey, you just spent over two hours with Idi Amin, one of the greatest mass murders to ever live.” I mentioned to her that he certainly murdered close to 500,000 people, and actually ate the parents of one of my clients.

She still has trouble with this. He, like all people and things, usually has several sides to himself, as there is usually more to any person than meets the eye. A mass murderer one day; a charming gentleman mystic the next. This still blows her (and my) mind.

By: Anne (UK)

Anne (UK) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 08:08:02 +0000

We had a Ugandan family living round the corner from us when I was at primary school. They had fled Amin’s regime, and although the father was a professional in Uganda, he was employed in fairly menial work in London. The mum was amazing, and when I called for the children to come and play out in the street, I was overwhelmed with offers of food. Always preceded by Grace, and a reminder that we should thank Jesus for all the good we had in life. Sounds very similar to Vincent’s family and values. I hope his book gains the readership it deserves.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:45:34 +0000

Will definitely look this one up, thanks Ardis!

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:40:25 +0000

Quite the remarkable story, of which I certainly wouldn’t be aware without your write-up. Thanks for the review!

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:32:20 +0000

Thanks, kevinf. I was introduced briefly to Vincent by a mutual friend, and if he hadn’t written his book I would have had to have found some reason to pin him down for an interview. The book *is* available through Amazon.com, though (link at top of post), even in Seattle. Not that I’m plugging sales, of course …

By: kevinf

kevinf — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:24:55 +0000

Sounds interesting. I suspect that if it is self published, it’s probably not available up here in the Seattle area. In many ways it reminds me of the book that I saw at my relatives in Utah this last year, about the former Cuban special forces officer who ended up defecting and later joining the church. I can’t remember the full title, but it was something like “Faith from the Shadows”.

But just even your brief retelling of Vincent’s life here is classic Keepa stuff, compelling stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Thanks for sharing this with us.